Down The Trail

Hike North______________The Long Trail______________Hike South

The Long Trail End-to-End Journal (Southbound)
October 8, 2007
Waitsfield, VT to Battell Shelter
LT Miles – 9.8
Total LT Miles – 119.6
Extra Miles – 0.6

The Monroe Skyline…

Nevermind the trees – the climb out of App Gap is as steep as it’s depicted here. There are some rocky sections with cave-like formations.
Everything is wet.

a fine view to the north

Theron Dean Shelter sports some character.

A ski lift materializes through the mist.

I go over a quarter mile off the ridge down to Glen Ellen Lodge, mostly just for something to see. The slippery side trail parallels a bloated, rushing stream.

Back up the side trail… watch me slip near the end.

See that footpath? The trail is muddy, water-logged, and riddled with slick rocks and roots – making for slow travel. In many places the fir trees (Think Christmas trees) have grown in thick, so I have to plough through their wet needly branches.

After crossing the northern boundary of the Green Mountain National Forest, I reach Mount Ellen summit. It’s only a small bump on this long ridge called The Monroe Skyline. Ellen is the same height as Camel’s Hump – tied for third highest peak in the state, behind Killington and Mansfield. There’s a small memorial nearby:

My best “Gee whiz, another spectacular view,” face.

“The sign says, “Little Abe Elevation 3900.”

Approaching the summit of Mount Abraham.

According to The Long Trail Guide, it “Offers one of the best panoramas of the entire Long Trail.”

Descending the south slope of Mount Abraham is steep, precarious work. I must be cautious on the slick rock as I sense sunset approaching in these moist, chilly conditions. The safest option is to perform the tried and true backpacker butt-slide. Often.

Battell Shelter is gray and gloomy, and after a lonesome afternoon I’m surprised to meet Brian, the GMC caretaker. He seems equally surprised to see me, and we talk for a little upon my arrival. He’s done the Long Trail end-to-end, and it occurs to me that today is the fifth anniversary of my Mount Katahdin summit – the day I finished The Appalachian Trail. His care-taking season ends in a couple days. He has to do some maintenance before the end of his work term, so he asks about the condition of the trail to the south. “Ah, the Balsam Fir Car-Wash!” he replies. This gets a good laugh out of me.

Night falls quickly, and I finish my dinner in the dark. A moist cloud settles over the area, and I pull my sleeping bag to the back end of the shelter to avoid the penetrating fog.

Hike North______________The Long Trail______________Hike South